farm-to-door directory

CSA delivery.

A CSA is a pre-paid season of food from a working farm. You commit, the farm grows for you, the box lands every week. Here is the practical mechanic.

Find a CSA near you vs standalone farm delivery

What CSA actually means

CSA is "community-supported agriculture." A CSA share is a pre-paid season of food from a single farm or a small cooperative of farms. You pay up front for the full season, you receive a weekly box, and you share the season's risk and abundance with the farm. Some weeks the box is bursting; some weeks it is lighter. The price is set by the season, not by what is in any given week's box.

The model is decades old (pioneered in the US in the 1980s, with Japanese and German antecedents from earlier in the century). It exists because it gives farmers predictable revenue at planting time, when they need it most.

The standard CSA shape

  1. Buy a share. Typically a "full share" feeds 2 to 4 people for the week; a "half share" feeds 1 to 2. The full season runs 16 to 26 weeks.
  2. Receive a weekly box. Most CSAs run May through October; some run year-round in mild climates. The box contains 5 to 12 items.
  3. Pick up at a drop site OR receive home delivery. Drop-site pickup is the traditional model and the cheapest. Home delivery is increasingly common; it usually adds $5 to $15 per stop.
  4. Cook from what arrived. The CSA challenge: that week's box becomes that week's menu. Most CSAs include a recipe with the box.

Find CSAs with delivery near you

Live directory, filtered to CSA shares.

Open directory

Variants beyond the produce share

Cost benchmarks

A vegetable CSA share runs $25 to $50 per week, paid up front for a 20-week season ($500 to $1000). Meat CSA boxes run $100 to $250 per quarter. Dairy CSAs run $20 to $50 per weekly drop. Per-unit, CSA tends to be 10 to 20 percent cheaper than à-la-carte farm delivery in exchange for the season commitment.

How to choose a CSA

  1. Try a half share first if you have not done a CSA before. The volume can surprise you.
  2. Check the season length. Six-month seasons are most common; year-round CSAs exist in California, Texas, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest.
  3. Check the skip / vacation policy. Some farms allow up to four skips per season; some do not.
  4. Visit the farm. Many CSAs host an open farm day for members. Worth attending.
  5. Read the typical box list from last season. Most farms publish it; you will see what to expect.

Common CSA pitfalls

Frequently asked questions

What is a CSA?

A CSA (community-supported agriculture) share is a pre-paid season of food from a working farm. You pay up front for the season (typically 16 to 26 weeks), and you receive a weekly box of whatever the farm harvested. The "share" is literally a share of the season's risk and abundance.

How much does a CSA share cost?

A vegetable CSA share runs $25 to $50 per week, paid up front for the season. A 20-week season is typically $500 to $1000. Meat CSA boxes run $100 to $250 per quarter. Dairy CSAs run $20 to $50 per weekly drop.

Does a CSA include home delivery?

Some CSAs deliver to your door; some require pickup at a drop site (a barn, a yoga studio, a church, a coffee shop). Home delivery typically adds $5 to $15 per stop. The directory shows which CSAs offer which fulfillment.

Can I do a CSA if I travel a lot?

Most CSAs allow at least one to four skips per season; many offer a "vacation hold" through their portal. Read the farm's skip policy before committing. If you travel for full months, an à-la-carte farm-delivery operation is more flexible than a CSA.

Can I get meat or dairy through a CSA?

Yes. Meat CSAs (typically quarterly) and dairy CSAs (typically weekly) exist alongside produce shares. Many multi-farm CSAs let you add meat, dairy, eggs, and pantry items to a base produce share.